Straight beam adjustable jaw wood clamp



A. M. GARNER STRAIGHT BEAM ADJUSTABLE JAW WOOD CLAMP June 18, 1957 Filed Jime 18, 1954 STRAIGHT BEAM ADJUSTABLE JAW WOOD CLAMP Anderson M. Garner, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Application June 18, 1954, Serial No. 437,692

1 Claim. (Cl. 144-303) This invention relates to clamps and more particularly to wood clamps.

A number of operations in connection with cabinet work require that two or more pieces of wood be clamped together edge to edge. A wood vise cannot be used in most cases because the jaws will not open the desired amount. Therefore, a wood clamp having means for adjusting the jaw opening over a wide range is necessary. A clamp of this type is indispensable in operations such as glueing, finishing large fiat surfaces, making up wide laminates, and similar activities.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide; a wood clamp which is rapidly and easily adjustable through a range of jaw openings varying from a few inches to several feet; a clamp which is light and yet rugged; a wood clamp which is extremely simple to construct, adjust, and operate; and a clamp that is quite inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawing which follows; and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clamp of the present invention having portions thereof broken away to conserve space;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the clamp;

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3'3 of Figure 2 showing the details of construction of the head stock and operating screw assembly with certain portions broken away to better show the construction;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 and Figure 5 is a fragmentary diagonal section taken along line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring now in particular to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, reference numeral indicates the body of the clamp which is preferably formed of a piece of straight hardwood having a rectangular or square cross section. The body is provided with a plurality of lock pin openings 12 which extend between opposite faces of the block at spaced intervals. The surfaces of the body surrounding the lock pin openings are preferably lined with metal bushings 14 for purposes of greater strength; and also, to prevent excessive wear. Tail stock 16 is mounted for slidable movement on the body and is provided with a lock pin 18 for holding the tail stock in fixed position relative to the body. The tail stock consists of a top plate 20 and a bottom plate 22 joined together by side plates 24 to form an opening adapted to receive the bodyfor slidable movement. The forward end of bottom plate 22 is provided with jaw 26 which extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom face of the body and forms one abutment for the work piece. Reinforcing web 28 is preferably provided behind jaw 26 for greater strength. Lock pin openings 30 are provided in the top and bottom plates of the tail stock in position to register with the lock pin openings in the body so that the tail stock may be locked in various positions on the body by means of the lock pin. The forward end of the body is nite States Patent 0 "ice provided with head stock 32 which is adjustable relative to the body by means of operating screw 34.

With particular reference to Figure 3, head stock 32 will be seen to comprise a slide bar 36 and jaw 38 at right angles thereto on its forward end. Slide bar 36 is positioned to slide within track 40 formed between bearing plate 42 and channel-shaped slide bar cover 44 on the upper face of the body. Bearing plate 42 is fastened to the top face of the body by bearing plate screws 46. As seen most clearly in Figure 4 slide bar cover 44 consists of two side plates 48 attached to opposite sides of the body by screws 50 and top plate 52 which is thereby held in spaced parallel relation to the bearing plate 42. The details of construction and the manner of fastening the slide bar cover to the body are shown most clearly in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 4. Internally threaded tube 54 is fastened within tube opening 56 in the forward end of the body extending in the direction of the length of the body. Retaining pin 58, and face plate 60 on the forward end of the body, cooperate to retain tube 54 in place. The forward end of tube 54 may be provided with an annular flange 62 in order to more evenly distribute the force over the face plate 60 which tends to withdraw the tube from the body. Internally threaded tube 54 threadedly engages operating screw 34. Crank 64 is rigidly attached to the forward end of the operating screw and provides the means by which the operating screw may be threaded in and out of the threaded tube. A collar 66 is provided on the operating screw between the threaded portion and the crank. An operating screw opening 68 is provided in jaw 38 sized to receive operating screw 34 for rotational movement. The forward face of jaw 38 bears against the rear face of annular bearing 66 on the operating screw. A set screw collar 70 is held in place on the operating screw by set screw 72 in position to bear against the rear face of jaw 38. Thus, rotational movement imparted to crank 64 by means of handle 74 will cause the operating screw to be threaded in and out of threaded tube 54 and will move jaw 38 relative to jaw 26 while the slide bar slides back and forth within track 40. Jaw 38 extends below the body with its rear face in spaced parallel relation to the forward face of jaw 26. The length of the threaded portion on the operating screw and also tube 54 is such that jaw 38 may be moved through a distance greater than that between adjacent lock pin openings 12. Therefore, by a proper selection of the position of the tail stock any size work piece may be accommodated providing it is not longer than the body plus the operating screw in extended position or too narrow to be grasped with the tail stock in the forward lock pin opening.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which the face plate is fastened to the forward end of the body by face plate screws 76. An operating screw opening 78 is provided in the face plate registering with the forward end of internally threaded tube 54. When the work piece is tightened between the head stock and the tail stock the force exerted will tend to withdraw tube 54 from the body. The retaining pin and face plate cooperate to hold the tube in place. Figure 4 in particular shows the track formed between the side plates and top plate of the slide bar cover and the bearing plate. Without bearing plate 42 this slide bar will tend to gouge the Wood of the body. The slide bar cover 44 serves merely as a guide for the slide bar.

Having thus described the many novel features of the wood clamp of the present invention in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that the many useful objects for which it was designed have been achieved; and therefore,

I claim:

A clamp comprising: an elongated wooden block of weeps? 3 t rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse openings extending between opposite parallel faces thereof; metal bushings within each of the transverse openings; 21 metal tail stock having a rectangular opening therein sized to receive the block for relative slidable movement and aligned openings in opposite parallel faces thereof corresponding to the transverse openings in the block, said tail stock including an integral flange projecting above one of the parallel faces having said openings therein to form a jaw; a pin adapted to pass between the aligned openings in the tail stock and through one of the transverse openings in the block to fix the longitudinal position of said tail stock relative to said block; an internally threaded tube mounted in one end of the block with the center line of said tube coincident with that of said block; a face plate attached to the end of the block containing the tube, said plate having an opening therein registering with the end of said tube; a bearing plate mounted on the parallel face of the block opposite that from which the flange of the tail stock projects and adjacent the face plate; a cover plate mounted in spaced relation to the bearing plate forming a channel therebetween; a screw threaded into the tube; a crank attached to the end of the screw; two collars attached to the screw" in spaced relation between the crank and face plate; and, an L-shaped head stock having one leg provided with an opening to receive the screw when placed between the collars and the other leg mounted for longitudinal slidable movement in the channel formed between the bearing plate and cover plate, said leg with the hole therein projecting above the same face as the flange on the-tail stock to form a movable jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,800 Goodchild May 16, 1871 378,082 Clark Feb. 21, 1888 1,034,568 Bemis Aug. 6, 1912 1,529,689 Condon Mar. 17, 1925 2,581,317 Zabich Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,717 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1919 

